Hospitals in Greater Lehigh Valley among Leapfrog’s tops in safety

Nine hospitals in the Greater Lehigh Valley region earned the highest safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national organization that publishes a health care quality assessment twice a year.

The group evaluated errors, accidents and infections at more than 2,600 general acute-care hospitals in the United States and assigned letter grades of A,B, C, D and F. The grades are calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed and available to the public.

In Pennsylvania, 126 hospitals were graded and 38, or 30 percent, were awarded an “A,” the highest letter grade.

The hospitals in the Greater Lehigh Valley that earned an “A” safety grade:

• Abington Health Lansdale Hospital.

• Aria Health – Bucks County Division.

• Grand View Health.

• Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg.

• Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono.

• St. Luke’s Hospital-Allentown Campus.

• St. Luke’s Hospital-Quakertown.

• St. Luke’s Hospital-Bethlehem.

Of the 2,632 hospitals graded, 832 earned an “A,” 662 earned a “B,” 964 earned a “C,” 159 earned a “D” and 15 earned an “F.”

The Leapfrog Group’s report is used by groups such as the Lehigh Valley Business Coalition on Healthcare, a nonprofit group of employers from several states, including Pennsylvania, that aims to provide access to quality, affordable health care to their employees.

Carl Seitz, president of LVBCH, said the coalition is “committed to ensuring our hospitals offer the safest care to their patients. … We look forward to working collaboratively with the hospitals and other stakeholders in our community on their quest for improvement.

Leah Blinder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in a statement the Leapfrog grade “helps shed light on those hospitals that need improvement, but also celebrates those committed to making their communities safer.”

Blinder applauded LVBCH’s “commitment to improving the safety of patients in local hospitals.”